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SuicideByStapler · #1 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 05:47 AM

Hello all! I have a single, important question. I am going to the San Antonio Reptile Show this weekend to purchase a sub adult male veiled cham. I have one problem, however, the vivarium I ordered will not be here until Tuesday (3 days later). I do have a glass aquarium(10 gal. was once home to my leo gecko) and I was wondering if my veiled would be ok for 3 days (2 1/2 actually because once I get my tank I am taking the day off and setting it up). I was wondering if the cramped area would have any long term stress effects on him. The vivarium I ordered is huge (3 foot high, 2 foot deep and 2 foot wide). Do you think I should house him in the 10 gallon for the few days, or do you have any other suggestions? Any help would be GREATLY appreciated, thank you!!! Also, I need an idea for a name.
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reptilemama · #2 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 06:34 PM

By "new tank" I'm assuming it's glass? If so, cancel your order. Chameleons do very poorly in glass cages. Lack of ventilation and stress from their reflection adds up to a sick chameleon. Instead, go to the pet store and get a Reptarium. They're all screen cages that are relatively cheap and easy to set up. And the bigger the better. Veileds get very large, and need a lot of room. A 10 gallon tank is way too small for a half-grown veiled, even if they could do ok in a glass cage. Invest in a good screen cage, a humidifier, and a drip system, and your chameleon will be much happier and healthier. Check out these resources for more info on chams.
http://www.adcham.com
http://www.chameleonjournals.com/
http://www.deerfernfarms.com/
http://home.pacbell.net/noodlboy/
http://home.att.net/~chameleons/
http://chamowner.hypermart.net/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Chameleons/
(1) Bartlett, R.D. and Bartlett Patricia P. 1995. Chameleons: Everything
about Selection, Care, Nutrition, Diseases, Breeding, and Behavior.
Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
(2) Davison, Linda, J. 1997. Chameleons: Their Care and Breeding . Blaine,
WA : Hancock House Publishers
(3) De Vosjoli, Philippe, and Ferguson, Gary. 1995. Care and Breeding of :
Panther, Jackson's, Veiled, and Parson's Chameleons. Santee, CA : Advanced
Vivarium Systems, Inc.
(4) De Vosjoli, Philippe. 1990. The General Care and Maintenance of True
Chameleons: Part I Husbandry. Lakeside, CA: Advanced Vivarium Systems, Inc.
(5) Le Berre, Francois. 1995. The New Chameleon Handbook: Everything about
Selection, Care, Diet, Diseases, Reproduction, and Behavior. Hauppauge, NY:
Barron's Educational Series, Inc.
(6) Martin, James. 1992. Masters of Disguise: A Natural History of
Chameleons. New York, NY : Facts On File, Inc.
(7) Necas, Petr. 1999. Chameleons Nature's Hidden Jewels. Malabar, FL :
Krieger Publishing Company.
(

Schmidt, W., Tamm, K, Wallikewitz, E. 1994. Chameleons: Volume
I -Species. Neptune City ,NJ: T.F.H. Publications, Inc.
(9) Schmidt, W., Tamm, K, Wallikewitz, E. 1994. Chameleons: Volume II -Care
and Breeding. Neptune City ,NJ: T.F.H. Publications, Inc.

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SuicideByStapler · #3 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 08:37 PM

you missed the point. sorry to be so blunt, but no, the new "tank" is not glass, it is all screen. I did my research, i am not one of these people that buy on impulses. The QUESTION was if it would be ok to house him in a 10 gal glass for 2 days. He is around 6 inches, therefore is not halfway grown in the least. And i mean 6 inches snout to tip of tail. the new "tank"(i said vivarium actually) is all screen and i have a humidifier system, along with a waterfall/river setup i built. all plants are live and non-toxic(like i said, i did my research) so please answer the question i had and dont assume i have no idea what im doing. Sorry to be so blunt and angry, but it is one of my pet peeves when people pass judgement without getting all the facts first. Thank you.
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GHzippy · #4 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 09:06 PM

He should be OK for a few days in glass - just do what you can so that he won't see his reflection -they really hate that! One note about the screen cages (and crickets)... my old roommate had a leo in a screen cage, and she'd drop a few crickets in there every so often - I'll be darned if they didn't chew holes in the screen and escape! Noisy, chirping crickets all over the apt... You haven't lived until you hop out of the shower and step on a big, juicy cricket.
WHEE!
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jpaulson · #5 (**permalink**) 12-12-2002, 09:33 PM

Let me tell ya what I used for my veiled, and he loved it!! I went to Walmart, and bought a $30 fake tree. I put the tree in the corner of my bedroom, then suspended a heat lamp above the tree, out of reach from him, of course. (Make sure the tree is away from any heating ducts.) I then took a plastic bag, and hung it up there as well. I inserted 1 small hole for the water to drip slowly. Vertically on the wall, I also placed my UV light. Finally, I took a plastic bowl and wedged it in-between the branches for his feeding dish. Aside from the UV lighting, the whole set up cost me under $60, and it looked great and natural!! Just an idea.......
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SuicideByStapler · #6 (**permalink**) 12-13-2002, 08:33 AM

Thanks all that applied, the suggestions were good. I think he will be fine in the glass for awhile, and i am setting it up so that he cant see his reflection. i think he will be fine for a few days, and his new setup is so nice i wish i lived in it. it is a 3 foot high, 2 foot deep and 2 foot wide screen vivarium with full spectrum lighting, all live plants, a moss and natural soil substrate. also has a drip system in the back, hidden behind some leaves, dripping into a bowl covered with branches. vines are present as well. then, and this is one of the coolest features, i designed a waterfall/river setup to keep humidity high. the setup runs through the cage and filters the water into a burried tube. well, i just have to wait for the vivarium to arrive before i can set it up. cant wait

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reptilemama · #7 (**permalink**) 12-13-2002, 05:29 PM

(2 1/2 actually because once I get my tank I am taking the day off and setting it up).

Suicide, this statement was what made me assume it was glass. I'm glad you did your research, though, and I'm sorry I assumed you hadn't. I answer questions on another website, and we regularly get questions from people who just bought a chameleon and know absolutely nothing about them. I guess I'm so used to dealing with this kind of person that I automatically want to give out as much info as I can to help them out. I didn't mean for any of my post to sound degrading. Also, I took subadult as meaning almost sexually mature, which would be much more than 6 inches long. Sorry for the misunderstanding. The cage you are setting up sounds nice. Just a word of advice on the waterfall. I don't have one, but I have heard that bacteria can build up quickly in them. I've heard from a lot of chameleon owners that they just couldn't keep them clean enough without daily scrubbing, and they ended up getting rid of them because their cham ended up with infections from contact with the waterfall. I haven't used one myself, I just have a humidifier in the cage and a three gallon dripper, but I thought I'd mention it so you can be prepared ahead of time.

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SuicideByStapler · #8 (**permalink**) 12-14-2002, 01:30 AM

Yeah, i had thought about the bacteria thing, that is why i built a filter in and the water comntinuely circulates, through the river and piping, instead of staying stationary in the waterfall. Im also sorry for snapping, i know must people do not do their research before purchasing an animal. anyway, thanks for all the tips ya'll, the will surely come in handy.
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